Family Weekend
Join Us October 9-11, 2026
Family Weekend is your chance to experience UW–Madison like your student does! Join us for three days of campus tours, special events, and Badger fun. Explore Madison, meet fellow families, and make memories together; it’s the ultimate way to celebrate your student’s journey.
See the current schedule below. Please note that events will continue to be added throughout the summer.
Registration for Family Weekend 2026 will open on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at Noon C.T.
On this page
Registration
Registration for Family Weekend 2026 will open on Tuesday, August 4, 2026 at Noon C.T.
- You must create an account in the Badger Family Hub prior to registration.
If you have issues with submitting your registration or need to make changes to your registration, contact parent@uwmad.wisc.edu or call 1-877-262-3977.
Changes or cancellations of Family Weekend registrations must be submitted on or before the cancellation deadline, Monday, September 7, 2026 at Noon C.T, in order to receive a refund for paid Family Weekend registrants (minus a cancellation fee of $3 per paid registrant to cover credit card costs).
Pricing
Family Weekend is $30 per person up to 4 people, and $10 for each additional person after that.
Current UW-Madison students and guests ages 12 and under are free.
This cost includes most events, activities and receptions throughout the weekend.
**If you are in need of a Family Weekend registration fee waiver, please contact the Parent and Family Program at parent@uwmad.wisc.edu before registering for instructions.
You can also choose to purchase add-on tickets to additional, a-la-carte events, such as the Wisconsin Singers Show and discounted Badger athletics events (if applicable). More information on these will be shared in future communications.
Hotel Blocks
We understand that some families may already have lodging plans for Family Weekend. However, if you have not made lodging accommodations yet, we welcome you to consider making accommodations through our Family Weekend hotel block.
Reservations will not be accepted directly through the hotels.
Need to modify or cancel your reservation?
- Please do not contact the hotel directly unless it is within 72 hours of your arrival.
- To modify or cancel an existing reservation, please refer to the “Request for Change” link provided at the bottom of your confirmation email. If you need your confirmation resent, please contact services@visitmadison.com.
*Once you click on the hotel room blocks, you are leaving UW–Madison’s website.
If you have any questions about the hotel block, please email services@visitmadison.com for assistance.
Badger Family Fest
Badger Family Fest will take place on Saturday, October 10 at the Memorial Union Terrace for a chance to meet fellow Badger Families while enjoying fun activities!
Schedule
Here are the current 2026 events. Events will be added and updated throughout the summer. Continue to check back for the updated schedule!
Free guest passes to Bakke Recreation and Wellbeing Center and Nicholas Recreation Center – Work out and explore these facilities
University Book Store family sale – Stock up on Badger gear
Babcock Dairy Store – Grab a meal or some university-made ice cream
Arboretum – Explore nature trails and gardens
Henry Vilas Zoo – Visit one of the last remaining free zoos in the country
Lakeshore Nature Preserve– Take a stroll down the lakeside
Chazen Museum of Art – See the second-largest collection of art in Wisconsin
Allen Centennial Garden – Stop by this public garden in the Lakeshore neighborhood
Madison Children’s Museum – Interact with art-filled exhibits
UW-Madison Physics Museum – Have a hands-on experience with physical concepts
Madison Museum of Contemporary Art (MMoCA) – View modern and contemporary art
UW-Madison Geology Museum – Take a peek into Wisconsin’s geological history
Wisconsin Veterans Museum – Connect with Wisconsin’s history of military service
Self-guided First Nations tour – Explore the Ho-Chunk and Native history at UW–Madison
Self-Guided tour of Taliesin – Visit famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright’s home
Discounted BCycle Guest Passes – Bike around Madison at a lower cost
Open Classes – Sit in on popular UW classes across campus
Check-In (1-7 p.m.) – Get set up for Family Weekend and grab your welcome gift
Family Friday in Alumni Park & One Alumni Place (1-4 p.m.) – Participate in a scavenger hunt and play yard games
Off-Campus Living exploration (2-5 p.m.) – Tour a variety of apartments around campus
Tour the Design Innovation Lab – Tour this design space within the College of Engineering
Clothing Swap with ReWear It – Donate clothes or participate in a shirt stamping station
Graduate Hotel Grill Out – Visit the Langdon Patio for complimentary food
Free Art Friday with Wheelhouse Studios – Participate in a fun craft
WSUM Tours (6-8 p.m.) – Tour the campus radio station at East Campus Mall
WUD Films – Watch a film in the Marquee theater at Union South
Polka Dance Lessons – Learn how to Polka dance
Crafts in the Residence Hall (9 p.m.-midnight) – Craft in a UW residence hall
Farmers Market: Saturday on the Square – Walk through the country’s largest producer-only farmers’ market
Check-In (9 a.m.-2 p.m.) – Get set up for Family Weekend and grab your welcome gift
Wisconsin State Capitol Tours (9 a.m.-4 p.m. on the half hour) – Visit the Wisconsin Capitol
Welcome Reception (9:30-10:30 a.m.) – Experience this formal welcome to Family Weekend
Badger Family Fest (11 a.m.-2 p.m.) – Enjoy live music, food, photo-ops, and Bucky Badger
Wisconsin Specialty Cheese Walk (1-4 p.m.) – Explore downtown shops while tasting Wisconsin Cheese
Off-Campus Living Exploration tours (2-5 p.m.) – Tour a variety of apartments around campus
Wolf Kitchen Open House – Check out the Wolf Teaching Kitchen in the Bakke
RecWell Skating – Skate for free at the Bakke
Camp Randall photos on the field – Take photos with your family on the Badgers turf
WSUM Tours (6-8 p.m.) – Tour the campus radio station at East Campus Mall
Mind Magic: Meraux Dantes – Experience this live captivating mentalist
WUD Films – Watch a film in the Marquee theater at Union South
Badger Family Bingo (6:30-8 p.m.) – Participate in this Badger Bingo night
Wisconsin Singers – See this collegiate pop music ensemble sing and dance live
Family Night in the Residence Halls – Participate in family-friendly games
Brunch Around (8 a.m.-noon) – Eat at your Badgers’ favorite brunch spot in Madison
Check-In (10 a.m.-noon) – Grab your welcome gift if you haven’t already
Painting and Pastries with Wheelhouse Studios (10 a.m.-noon) – Join for coffee, pastries, and painting
Sunday Stroll (10 a.m.-1 p.m.) – Enjoy a self-guided stroll on the Lakeshore Nature Preserve
RecWell Fitness Activity – Participate in a RecWell group fitness activity
RecWell Skating – Skate for free at the Bakke
Frequently Asked Questions
This annual, signature event will take place Friday, October 9, 2026 – Sunday, October 11, 2026.
Many campus lots are free on the weekends. View the campus parking map and take note of the lots in green, as these will be free. Please note that event parking, including volleyball and hockey, can impact lot availability, including green lots. Please check posted signage at each lot before parking.
The interactive campus map shows public parking locations, bus stops, real-time schedule information, B-cycle kiosk locations, and more:
https://map.wisc.edu/
Click on the P for Public parking to see how many spots are available in each lot. Most of these lots require payment.
Additionally, the visitor parking availability page has a live count of parking available in campus gated lots:
https://transportation.wisc.edu/parking-lots/lot-occupancy-count/
Many Family Weekend activities are within a short walk of one another. The free campus buses—80 and 84 during the day, and 80, 81, and 82 at night—circulate throughout campus each day, allowing you to hop on and off near different events. Look for the blue bus-stop signs around campus.
Please note: parking availability and access is subject to change. Please be aware of all signs and notices posted at parking locations and follow all displayed parking regulations.
Downtown Madison City Lots:
https://www.cityofmadison.com/parking-utility/garages-lots
Accessible Parking
Accessible stalls are within many lots on campus. UW–Madison Transportation Services outlines DOT Accessible parking:
https://transportation.wisc.edu/parking/accessible-parking/
Please note, by law, we cannot reserve accessible stalls as they are all on a first-come, first-served basis. With any lot, please obey the posted signage and notices.
Building Accessibility
View a comprehensive list of accessibility information by building:
https://map.wisc.edu/accessibility
Additional Questions
Contact UW–Madison Transportation Services or Campus Information at 608-263-2400.
We understand that some families may already have lodging plans for Family Weekend. However, if you have not made lodging accommodations yet, we welcome you to consider making accommodations through our Family Weekend 2026 hotel block.
We understand if you would like to book outside of our hotel block, and recommend you make sure any booking is refundable in case your plans change.
Yes! If you are in need of a Family Weekend registration fee waiver, please contact the Parent and Family Program at: parent@uwmad.wisc.edu
Please keep in mind that our fee waiver only covers per person registration fees.
The fee waiver does not cover the cost of overnight lodging, travel, parking, or any add-on tickets to events such as Wisconsin Singers or Badger athletics events. We recommend taking these additional costs into consideration before registration opens.
No — we intentionally do not schedule Family Weekend during a home football game due to decreased hotel and parking options as well as programming limitations.
We do partner with Wisconsin Athletics to offer tickets to select football games before general single-game tickets go on sale to the general public.
Please note: these football games are on separate days and are separate events from Family Weekend. There is no additional programming on these days.
We are still waiting on the hockey schedule. If there is a home game during Family Weekend, the tickets will be discounted.
Yes, all events are reserved for Family Weekend participants.
Our 2026 registration link will become available this summer!
We designed Family Weekend to be an a-la-carte event where guests and family members are able to pick and choose the events they are most interested in attending.
We encourage you to come to our signature events such as the Chancellor’s Welcome Reception, Badger Family Fest, Photoshoots at Camp Randall, and many more which will be taking place on Saturday, October 10, 2026.
Changes or cancellations of Family Weekend registrations must be submitted on or before the cancellation deadline, Monday, September 7, 2026 at Noon C.T, in order to receive a refund for paid Family Weekend registrants (minus a cancellation fee of $3 per paid registrant to cover credit card costs).
We are not able to guarantee refunds for Family Weekend registration changes or cancellations submitted after that deadline.
Please note that tickets to discounted Badger athletics games, the Wisconsin Singers shows, or any additionally ticketed events during that weekend are nonrefundable, no matter what date you cancel your Family Weekend registration.
To make changes, click the registration link in your confirmation email or contact:
parent@uwmad.wisc.edu
877-262-3977
The Family Weekend hotel block includes many hotels at a variety of walking, commuting and driving distances from campus.
While it may seem that staying farther away means missing out, that is not typically the case. Hotels farther from campus often offer more affordable rates and comparable or better amenities.
Even hotels near campus or downtown may still require a 30–75 minute walk or commute to certain events.
Some families choose to drive and park for events. To help with parking, some on-campus lots and ramps are free during Saturday and Sunday of Family Weekend.
For Family Weekend questions:
608-262-3977
parent@uwmad.wisc.edu
For hotel block questions:
services@visitmadison.com
Questions?
You can call us toll-free at 877-262-3977 or email parent@uwmad.wisc.edu for any questions regarding Family Weekend events, programming, and registration.
Thank you to our presenting Sponsor:
Thank you to our signature sponsors:
